Sunday Sightseeing 12th June Part I

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Just after Dhuha optional salaat, I went down to Khaleel restaurant to have some breakfast around nine in the morning. Tomorrow would be optional fasting service for Allah. I felt that I couldn't just stay in the room, nobody could stand that unless if the person has something wrong in his mind. Because of this, I could sense that I am still normal.

I intended to apply for a visa to Thailand as I planned to take train for Central part. Just wanted to visit few historical mosques there but I also need to take some safety precautions because Thais could be quite crazy, well not all but still we have to be careful. We are going to be outside of the boundaries that protect our rights as a citizen. Disappointed I was but I still go for Georgetown. Ain't got no money, but we have feet to walk. 

I took Rapid Penang from Gelugor to the Jetty and it costs me RM2. I can see Tun Sardon area where I had some breakfast with Tabligh kids at the market early this passing semester while I was in the bus. I felt sad when the memory comes out of my mind. Nevermind... I would just follow my feet where it brought me to walk today since nobody could imagine how boring it is here. I believe some stranded USM students also feel the same. They wanted to go somewhere to relax their mind but stranded because of commitment toward their certificates. 

I had been to Georgetown alone during Chinese New Year festival but because I don't know where to go so I just go there again for sight-seeing. Whatever that we have right now, we just be thankful to Allah and we say, alhamdulillah!!! May Allah helps us with bountiful of His givings in the future...

    
This is the first place I decided to begin my walk before roaming to other areas, old style buildings are everywhere in Georgetown. This street is called as Chinese Ghaut Street.  Walk straight, and you will see British Council and Quay Street. Off the road is the pier.

Back street of the Quay Street. We walk forward and we would see the next picture. The building is quite nice. It looks like we are somewhere in the Europe. British influence could we say.

This is when we come out from Church Ghaut street. From the plaque sign at the building, I get to know that the street was named after a Catholic Church which was first build in Penang Island by the Portuguese around 17th C. I could see the remnant of the church at the left side of the street.

Cantonese Association when we walk straight from Church Ghaut Street. I always thought that Penang Island only has Hokkien community and might be some Teochew, but now I am sure there is also Cantonese inhabitants in the town. No wonder I could hear some Cantonese spoken in a settlement near Batu Feringghi when I walked around during CNY.

We are already in Little India. I can hear Bhajans. For fellow brothers and sisters in faith information if you by accident come across this section. Bhajan is Hindu religious hymns sung at their religious ceremonies. I could listen to Soolamangalam sisters, they are famous amongst Tamil Hindus and I know few of their bhajans for Hindu god pantheon's figure like Skandha (Murugan) for Shaiva cult. I could also listen to Krishna Bhajannam sung at Indians videos store by the Vaishnava cult religious singer. 

I went through the lane and walked in front of the Satya Sai Baba center. He currently passed away. Just greet an Indian auntie with a nod and smile in front of the center. She doesn't join the ceremony, I guess she must be from other cult. I recall my memory while I was in Metro Bus early in the morning to private classes for STPM in KL. I learned all of these from the time I was stranded as a STPM student who didn't go to formal school. Even my classmate, Prema said that I know about them better than them when I asked her about shivanavarathri and mahapurnnami festival (nine nights of god siva) before she went to their temple, lol. 

Didn't get to check calender on what occasion is today because I saw many people. Indians and Chinese roaming around with their religious activities in temples and those bhajan stuffs signify something for them. Some Chinese also lighting joss-sticks at the idol of ganesha. Some Thai Buddhist also revering ganesha but they call that god as viganet before performing art and performance like wayang kulit (traditional shadow play) to avoid obstacles or being victims to others' jealousy while performing. Maybe those Chinese hawkers are asking for good business flow from the Hindu deity.

This street looks familiar. Oh, yeah!!! I remember I used to follow Tabligh kids to Bengal Mosque for their Thursday evening activity and bayans.

At the left of this Muntri Street, we could see Bengal Mosque. It is the center for Tabligh Jama'at in Penang. Along the street are budget hotels and they also offer helps to deal with Thai visas and accommodation in Thai Southern provinces tourism spots.

Ok, this is the street where we walk straight and we could see the Bengal Mosque. I didn't perform any salaat to respect the mosque because I feel like I am crying in my heart. I learned a lot from there but in the same time, hati banyak sakit juga lah... Ada parut sikit-sikit kawan-kawan kita tinggalkan kita terkapai-kapai at the center while they tried to recruit me to be one of them :'(

This is Bengal Mosque where we could take a look at it clearly in day light. Last time I was there in the night. So, this is the day scene of the mosque. Any brother interested to learn about Tabligh system of da'awa and sunnah may come to the mosque and perform salaat respecting the Lord of the House and listen to their bayaan.

This is Leith Street. In front of shop lots there is a catholic church called St. Francis Xavier. Francis Xavier is a Franciscan figure and he is ethnically a Basque from Spain. They also made efforts evangelizing people in Asia into Latin rites including the Eastern Christians in India. 

I read few books about Dominican and Franciscan orders' mission not to forget their reports. They also made few books for missionaries like learning the languages of natives and few researches about natives or cultural traits in South East Asia. 

It reminds me of Abdullah Munsyi or Abdullah Paderi when I am in churches. He is a figure in Malacca old days who translated St. Matthew Gospel into Classical Malay. I had visited the center during CNY but didn't get to pay a visit inside due to time constraint. I intend to only visiting the building when there are occasions but no occasion so far. They had a mass on Sunday morning and few other daily mass according to time. 

I'm so sorry not to offend anyone. I don't know how to erase the sleeba (cross) at the building to respect respective Muslim brothers and sisters eyes. I would try to find photoshop software and install it after this. I'm sorry for being a bit slow, I really am ignorant in computer thingies. This is just how the church looks like because it is hidden inside and for my personal record. 

I also watched Imam Muda program in Astro Oasis and they visited a Buddhist temple in Kelantan. If I am not mistaken it is called as wat Bodhiviharn. They said in the beginning they were also afraid and shivering but that was an exposure for them as da'is (people who call others to Allah), hehe. I had been to wat Macchammaram and wat Phikunthong, and few other wats (buddhist monasteries) in Tumpat when I was a bachelor student. 

Nothing would happen if Allah wants our faith to be in its place, insyaalah! We pray for His guidance every time and do not stop for that because His guidance and the ability to perform the guidance are the greatest grace amongst all. Each time I began my journey no matter into pasar (market), in shopping complex, to work and other places I would recite ma'athurat to remind me on who I am and my responsibility as His servant and humble slave. The basic things that we should understand is our iman (faith). Then comes 'ilmu (knowledge), ikhlas (sincerity), and 'amal (practices).

This is the interior side. I couldn't put all of the pics because there are also other pics to be recorded for today's sight-seeing. It is just a typical Roman Catholic Church with pews, sleeba (cross), statues of their saintly figures. Some colorful mosaics at the window and the corpus christi (body of christ) at the table representing the church where they perform rituals for khubz hu lahmi, damm wa khamr (bread is my body, blood and wine) according to their rites for mass.  Sorry for the mix with Arabic, I learn about Christianity through Middle East sources.

I was there only for about 20 minutes just observing around and sitting on the pew before an uncle came in to lock the door as the personal prayer time had finished. I just went out and nod my head to the uncle respecting him. He seems like surprised to see a young man in the church sitting alone on the pew and he seems like wanted to ask that maybe I need something. I just walked out to give him way to lock the door. 

Then I walked along the street from the church to a mamak stall and had some teh ais (iced milk tea). Standard price, RM1.20 for a glass of iced milk tea even at a stall in an alley but the uncles there are nice and greet me with salam. Now, I love those who greet me with the prayer although my mouth feels hard to greet others. I would try to make it as a habit. That's why I begin every post with salam prayers.  

Komtar, the landmark of Penang. In Penangites telefilm such as Anak Mamak Menantu Mami, they would show this as apart of their pride. I can't stand Azad Jazmin's voice when he made that suara kepit. Anyhow, I love the movie. Immigration department is there and my cousin sister also works in Komtar. Just feel shy to contact my maternal aunt here which is her mum. She and her husband are generous enough offering me to help buying tickets to return home if I am in shortage or stuck in Penang. But just feel bad to burden them, I would try to rely on Allah and work it myself if I have the ability.

The street is known as Lim Chui Long street. Last time during the first semester, I went out with brother Kurnia of Indonesia and brother Idris of China to Penang Botanical Garden and we stopped by at a mosque at the street just beside the road in our way home for dzuhr prayer service. Brother Kurnia will be home and I would never see him anymore in the next semester because he had done with his thesis : (

This is a banglo of Qiu Tianbao, the father in-law of Syed Ahmad al-Attas who married his daughter. The architecture is according to colonial style. This place became a school which was founded by followers of Sun Yat Sen, a nationalist figure of China. He is not a communist but a member of Guomindang party.  

Lebuh Farquhar, I walked here too but my previous pictures were lost swiped by the person who repaired my computer. I had also took pictures at Chayamanggalaram and Dharmmikaram temples but it is OK. I have my mind as a record too.

Around Lebuh Farquhar. There is a Catholic Cathedral there called the Assumption and also a museum. I didn't visit the cathedral because I had once been there. I wanted to see something like museum more. Besides there just about two buildings gap, I could see Pulau Pinang Museum. In front of the museum is a school. I can't remember its name but the school buildings look nice.

to be continued....